Within an industry that sometimes struggles to renew itself, especially in the themes it tackles, Road 96 is a daring bet. Even though we freely admit that it is far from perfect, especially as regards its procedural part and its technical aspect, the title nevertheless offers an original experience that goes off the beaten track. This is portrayed by the narrative expressed through the iteration of encounters with the seven key characters. Despite being divisive, this mechanic leads to a rather unique game revolving around intertwined stories that puts the player in the position of a partial spectator of the events occurring before his eyes.

MotoGP 22 doesn’t revolutionise the recipe and simply heats up its old leftovers gameplay-wise. It brings some improvements here and there, but its visuals are getting outdated. However, its playable documentary NINE, which is a nice surprise, avoids the shipwreck. The addition of a local multiplayer option and cross-gen feature that was long awaited by players and no longer divides the community must also be mentioned. It’s high time for the studio to move up a gear and offer something completely new with an updated career mode and a refined presentation.

Travelling back in time through the completely delirious universe of Kraken Academy!! is not unpleasant despite its lack of striking resolutions, especially as the humorous dimension fits adequately. The investigation to discover The Perfidious’ identity is gripping, but the way to wrap it up is kind of repetitive. We would have appreciated more variety in the mini-games, as well as a real use of the Kraken-net social network to find clues for an added layer of substance. Without being transcendent, the side quests contribute to the title’s already crazy background, but they’re still too shallow to bring a real added value to the scenario. Kraken Academy!! thus graduates with honours. Teacher’s comment: “Kraken Academy!! is a studious but somewhat dissipated student, be careful not to rest too much on your laurels!"

Succeeding on many levels, Weird West is a very good first game that bodes well for the next titles from the WolfEye studio. We clearly enjoyed the universe and the narration and the different ways of approaching the action phases are quite ingenious. Unfortunately, several small flaws darken the picture, starting with a controller gameplay that doesn’t really match the title’s ambitions. A lack of precision is quickly felt and makes certain actions, such as the infiltration phases, completely impossible. Nevertheless, this dive into the horrific desert remains convincing, and we particularly recommend it to fans of Arkane’s previous productions.

We’ve been looking forward to finally getting our hands on Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and we’ve been amazed with TT Games’ take on it. For the first time, all nine films are gathered in one Lego game and nothing has been left out. The title retains the solid foundations that have made the licence so strong, but brings a lot of welcome new features to modernise its gameplay. True to the rest of the Lego games, the humour is always present and regularly makes us smile. Whether you’re a newcomer or an avid fan of Lego titles, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is without a doubt the best episode of the license to date. We can only hope that the next games will continue to build on this momentum.

The console adaptation (PS5 and Xbox Series only) of Crusader Kings III is a stunning success. Even though the gameplay experience is inferior to the maximum settings on a PC, it doesn’t need to be ashamed of the comparison and comes much closer than anyone dared to hope thanks to a clever use of the controller. Those fond of large strategy games or medieval history should definitely give this game a try, especially since it has been available in the Xbox Game Pass since its release. Crusader Kings III is a must-have in its category and offers a wealth of roleplay. Nevertheless, the title remains such a demanding niche game that it will discourage most players, despite the developers’ efforts to make it more accessible. On the other hand, if you fully adhere to the concept, Crusader Kings III is the Holy Grail.

Without any doubts, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is an excellent game, where everything fits perfectly within the Borderlands universe. The offbeat humor, the fast-paced battles, the artistic quality and the game's length make it a must-have title. It's a bit unfortunate that there isn't more melee combat for a Dungeons and Dragons, but the novelty of using spells makes us forget that. Let's hope that the few login issues to join an online session will be solved soon. One last word if you are not convinced yet: Go for it!

This title is a real coup de cœur. Its inspired art direction, rich narrative and immersive sound design make it a real masterpiece. Despite an adventure that takes less than two hours to complete, its replayability is at least on the spot. Similarly to a captivating story in which you are the main protagonist, one always goes back for seconds. Belle Game and Arte France have created a very attractive and subtle retelling of Mary Shelley's classic.

Much less mature and gory than most of the adaptations featuring the bearded hero, Conan Chop Chop remains nonetheless a very funny and entertaining outlet for many. Thanks to its colourful and cartoonish artistic style, it will suit young and old generations alike. Despite being casual for most of its duration, some of its difficult passages may bewilder those with little patience, especially on the third boss. Its bestiary and environments also lack in variety. Despite a few setbacks, Conan Chop Chop definitely has a constant and inexplicable ingredient that pushes one to go back for seconds. It’s globally a good title to enjoy with friends and without moderation, by Crom!

Piranha Bytes is known for its – technically speaking – old school productions with rich content. Elex 2 further confirms this reputation and remains a title that one loves as much as he hates it. It will take many hours of suffering before you can really enjoy it. Therefore, it’s hard for the average player to get involved in a game that is graphically outdated and whose gameplay transforms the combat phases into real torture. A title to be reserved for fans of the studio or pad masochists.

Tunic is a real treasure. Cleverly enough, it doesn’t take players by the hand and rather lets them discover where to go and what to do by dropping a few clues here and there. The battles are demanding but fair, and the game ingeniously offers several accessibility options to allow as many people as possible to embark on the journey. Despite an enchanting world with a polished level design, the difficulty of some puzzles might push a certain number of players to give up.

Cassidy takes us through her nightmares in a beautiful story. Even though the bestiary is rather scarce, the artistic direction and the mechanics quickly make us forget this bump on the road. Indeed, the weapons, powers, and items to defeat our enemies are well varied and it is with great pleasure that we alter our combat gear over the course of the game. Despite being paramount for discovering our young protagonist’s whole story, the redundancy of the levels still is a major setback. All in all, Dreamscaper is a good game that is both fun and aesthetically pleasing.

At first, the solid and engaging gameplay of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin pushes us to invest ourselves. But very quickly, some unacceptable flaws appear, marred by multiple (marketing?) elements stifling the initial interest. Between a souls-like aspect that is clearly ill fitted to the gameplay, a bad staging, a narration cruelly lacking clarity and protagonists deprived of charisma and appeal, it ultimately becomes very difficult for a fan of the licence to be satisfied. On the other hand, if you focus solely on the gameplay and take this Final Fantasy simply for what it is, i.e. a rather unsound action-RPG, then you can find some satisfaction by playing it with friends.

In terms of sensations felt when sliding, the number of missions, the humour, and the soundtrack, FoamPunch really is a great game. But the problems linked to clipping, framerate drops and collisions kind of taint our general enjoyment of it. The realistic physics of our rider during tricks truly is astounding and it forces us to be fully aware of the timing feature to perform one trick after another. An update is necessary to turn this game from something decent to something remarkable.

Ubisoft promised the most ambitious DLC of the series and a 40-hour life span to go through all the content. Unfortunately, neither of these promises have been kept. Dawn of Ragnarök follows the path of the two previous expansions with an uninspired narrative that struggles to keep us interested. There is little new gameplay to acknowledge, apart from the addition of new powers, but this barely acts as a breath of fresh air. We could have been a bit more tolerant if the expansion had been included in the Season Pass, but at €39.99, there’s no way we can recommend it. Being fans of the licence, the disappointment is even greater, and we hardly recognise the series that used to fascinate us. Ubisoft must urgently make changes and go back to what made the fame of Assassin's Creed.

Epitasis remains a good puzzle game that will please lovers of the genre, but its content is too scarce. Its uneven graphics and its very limited lifespan may disappoint most players. Finding a real narrative in a game of this kind happens to be quite rare and it’s a shame to have such a disappointing ending despite a decent starting point.

Webbed offers us a pleasant walk in the countryside. Although a little short, the title provides an accessible and interesting bucolic experience. Some of the puzzles require a minimum of logic and reflection, but the solutions quickly become obvious. Other than that, the game is pleasant to play, the physics of the spiderwebs are well reproduced, but the ten or so quests and the few collectibles won’t be enough to keep you busy for more than ten hours. It’s still a nice experience for a short break between two triple AAA games.

PowerSlave Exhumed is a licence that fell into oblivion a long, long time ago. And few really expected its comeback in 2022 after more than 25 years of absence. Yet, the experience offered by this port is surprisingly decent. With a modern gameplay fitting the presence of the two sticks on the controller, the title is no longer as archaic to navigate. Furthermore, the levels are a mix of what was offered on the PlayStation and Saturn versions, which were different at the time. The presence of new secrets makes for a fresh experience, but the same flaws remain, namely the automatic aiming and the fact that our character is too wide, thus taking damage for nothing. Nonetheless, PowerSlave Exhumed is still a fun game to play through, albeit a little short.

If Grid Legends takes a good step forward compared to Grid 2019, this step is unfortunately not a leap. Content-wise, Codemasters was generous with more cars, more tracks, a kind of disappointing story mode which serves as an interesting tutorial and finally an efficient, yet classic and extensive career mode that can be done in multiplayer. Unfortunately, the limited physics of the racetrack and a poorly managed AI are quite anticlimactic. Nevertheless, the signature arcade atmosphere typical of Grid’s fierce races with no holds barred remains true to itself if you are lucky enough to have a driving level that fits the game’s difficulty scale. Grid Legends is therefore mainly aimed for a casual audience searching for a fun and very accessible racing game. If you are a seasoned car racing fan, the game’s blatant flaws will quickly be the only things you notice.

Martha is Dead is a successful dive into the abyss of a family drama filled with mysteries. Within a historical context that is as interesting as it is gripping, its careful and controlled narrative easily keeps the audience on their toes. One needs to see whether the clumsy movements, the sluggish gameplay and the frequent back and forth will not obstruct the immersion, even if they are far from overshadowing the game’s myriad of qualities.

Although True Fear: Forsaken Souls - Part 1 is not as fresh as it used to be, it stays a good puzzle game for those who can overlook its flaws. Despite the cinematic, sound design and horrific references of another era, the title gifts the genre with some well-designed ideas. The ability to instantly travel from one board to another or to set the difficulty of puzzles and in-game helpers is well thought out. Discovering this experience on Xbox or leaving it for “on the move” sessions on a tablet as it was originally designed will entirely depend on you.

Dynasty Warriors 9 had already strongly disappointed us and this new “Empires” episode was our last hope for the license to turn things around. Unfortunately, it won’t happen any time soon as Omega Force relies on its assets and barely reworks its franchise. Technically speaking, the game is just as dated as its predecessor, which was already a big problem four years ago. This could’ve been overlooked if one could at least find happiness elsewhere. But with a strategic dimension smeared by menus that are far too confusing and a weariness that quickly grows on us even during combat, it is difficult to recommend this game. It’s high time for Omega Force to wake up and offer us an experience worthy of what gamers expect in 2022

In DYSMANTLE, surviving has never been sweeter! The game simplifies the sometimes boring notion of survival by focusing on the essential: fun. Farming, although a bit repetitive after a few hours, is natural thanks to the character’s progression and evolution that are fluid and well thought out. Breaking everything becomes an addictive pastime and the mysteries of the island always make us want to dig deeper. With its insane lifespan, its well-balanced difficulty, its cartoonish art direction and its impeccable technique, DYSMANTLE is definitely worth checking out. We hope an online cooperation mode will be implemented as it is an essential feature of this genre.

The King of Fighters XV succeeds where it was expected to, that is, by offering a precise and intense gameplay wrapped in a high-quality presentation, and that’s probably the most important element. The plethoric roster is varied, the mechanics are intuitive, and one ends up spending a few hours to fully master them. Nevertheless, for those among us who are less fervent of this genre, beware as this is a versus fighting game in its purest form and it doesn’t offer much more. Best reserved for those fond of it.

Our aim is not to nail the studio to a cross, as we undoubtedly know that the team is working hard and trying its best with what seems to be very limited resources. Their respect for rugby can be felt in their wish to capture the essence of this complex and exciting game. But after 3 very disappointing attempts, we are losing hope and confidence. It is no longer possible in 2022 to publish sports simulations that are technically and graphically several generations behind. All the efforts put into developing a convincing gameplay are wasted on these pitfalls. If the form had at least been taken care of, rugby fans, for whom the title is solely aimed, could have forgiven a lot. Alas, the sloppy direction completely spoils the immersion and potential inherent to the presence of official licenses. Similarly to its older brothers, Rugby 22 remains a prototype rugby game, an alpha version sold at a high price. It breaks our heart to advise against buying it in its current state.

Olli Olli World consolidates the positive impression felt after its art preview. The developers have succeeded in opening up to a wider audience while keeping the elements that made the licence a success. They’ve managed to get out of their comfort zone and renew themselves. The game is dynamic and addictive. It’s hard not to be struck by the “last one, I promise!” syndrome when you want to take on one final challenge before putting down the controller. Additionally, the substantial content and the upcoming DLC guarantee many hours of gaming to come. A licence to discover or rediscover whether you are a rider at heart or not.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable game to play despite the few crashes encountered. Some of the levels can be done with disconcerting ease while others will unduly try your patience. A good game to play during the slow season for a decent price.

The rediscovery of Shadow Man was surprising, to say the least! The remastering work done by Nightdive Studios allows us to (re)discover the title at its best, even if the gameplay is not always enjoyable. This comeback to the world of the dead shows the extent to which videogame titles aren’t all identical regarding the inexorable passing of time and Mike LeRoi carrying the heavy burden of the first 3D action/adventure games is a fitting example of this. It is thus difficult to face the complete absence of indication and the rigidity of this gameplay, which did not bother us so much at the time. Despite everything, the magic is still in the air partly due to an artistic direction that is as deliciously morbid as ever. However, it seems difficult to recommend this game to anyone considering the recent and double-edged evolution of our medium. This makes us wish for a full reboot to carry on indulging in this unusual atmosphere which time seems to have no hold on.